April 21, 2025 • 31 mins
In this bonus solo episode, host Nadine Mulvina takes you on a sun-soaked, power-outage-filled journey to San Juan, Puerto Rico—traveling with her college best friend who still drinks. Through vibrant stories and heartfelt reflection, Nadine explores how choosing sobriety doesn’t mean missing out—it can actually inspire those around you.
From salsa dancing in La Placita, to hiking El Yunque rainforest hangover-free, to screaming with joy when the power came back on, Nadine shares how her sober presence shifted the energy of the trip. This episode is a love letter to travel, friendship, and the magic that comes when you choose presence over partying.
🎒 Highlights from the Episode:
- Positive peer pressure & how sobriety can shift group dynamics
- Rebuilding old friendships through new boundaries and honesty
- Celebrating others while staying true to yourself
- The joy of dancing, adventuring, and sunbathing—no alcohol required
- Navigating the “drinking friend” dynamic without judgment
- Lessons from travel that apply to everyday sober life
🌴 San Juan Itinerary Highlights:
- Solo salsa night at La Placita
- Power outages, piña coladas (yes—N/A!), and birthday surprises
- Sailboat + catamaran tours
- Natural waterslides & cliff-jumping in El Yunque
- Rooftop dinners and spontaneous connections
💡 Sober Travel Tips:
- Pack a portable charger (!!!)
- Make space to celebrate your friends—even if you’re skipping the booze
- Have a “morning plan” to stay grounded on vacation
- Always ask bartenders if they can make a custom mocktail—you might just get the best drink of your life
🦋 Loved this episode?
Let Nadine know by leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Share this episode with your sober travel buddy or that one friend you’d love to take a dry vacay with.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
the-sober-butterfly_2_04 (00:00):
Hello, hello, hello.
Beautiful butterflies andwelcome back to the Sober
Butterfly Podcast.
I am your host, Nadine, andtoday we're diving into a juicy
bonus solo episode that's equalparts vacation recap, sober
inspo, and a love letter tolongtime friendships that grow
with you.
(00:21):
Okay, so if you've beenfollowing me on social media,
you may already know that I wasin Puerto Rico for spring break.
Now, this wasn't just any springbreak vacation.
This was a spring break tripwith one of my best college
friends who still drinks andlisten, her and I, we have.
History.
Okay.
The kind where alcohol used tobe, the glue and not just the
(00:42):
glue.
We're talking drama and at timesour downfall, if I'm being quite
real.
But this trip in particular, itwas completely different.
It was healing and it remindedme that sober joy is not just
possible.
It is better than anything Iused to drink to chase.
So today I'm bringing you a fullbehind the scenes recap, plus
(01:05):
some practical tips, honestlessons, and a few funny moments
from my sober adventure in SanJuan.
Let's get into it.
the-sober-butterfly_3_04-21 (01:16):
All right, let's start with day one.
So I intentionally arrived a daybefore my friend to get
grounded.
And this friend, by the way, hername is Kay.
And Kay and I, we've traveledaround the globe together.
A lot of it, as mentioned in theintro, involved alcohol
drinking.
And it's so funny that thistrip.
(01:36):
Was around spring break timebecause one of the most epic
spring breaks of my lifeinvolved Kay, when we went on a
cruise, our senior year ofcollege, so this would've been
circa 2014, 13, 2013, and we.
I'm not even gonna get into ithere because A, she would kill
(01:57):
me, and B, we don't have enoughtime.
So just know that when we wenton that spring break cruise at
the end of college, it wasinsane.
And that was actually the firsttime that we'd ever taken like
an international trip together.
This particular trip.
Was actually our first timegoing away together sober.
So I intentionally arrived theday before K, just to get my
(02:22):
bearings really to get grounded.
And I checked into our Airbnb.
I dropped off my bags.
I took myself on a little solodate night, didn't have much
plans for that first evening,but ended up booking a last
minute salsa class followed bydinner in La Placita.
Now La Placita is Party Central.
(02:43):
I want you to think loud.
Music dancing in the streets,pina Coladas.
Everywhere and I was totallysober for it and totally fine.
Like more than fine.
I was great.
I was thriving.
I people watched, which is oneof my favorite activities.
And just watching people, youknow, move Puerto Rico, San Juan
(03:05):
in particular, it is the mostmusically, vibrant place I have
ever been you can hear musiceverywhere, like from cars,
booming, bad bunny, or literallyjust hearing different music
coming from cafes orrestaurants.
And so I was watching peoplemove with rhythm and laughter,
and I just thought to myself.
(03:26):
I get to feel this too, and notonly do I get to feel this, I
get to feel this without thehangover.
So the first lesson I just wantto remind myself and also share
with you is that sober travelstarts by choosing yourself
first.
And a quick tip for you, if youare traveling with other people,
especially people who drink,consider giving yourself a day
(03:50):
or two to settle in and getcentered.
the-sober-butterfly_4_04-21- (03:54):
So the next day I was expecting Kay
to arrive.
She was arriving later in theafternoon.
I was super excited that Kay wasarriving that day, and for more
context, this was spring break,but also a celebratory trip for
Kay's birthday coming up.
So I wanted to surprise her withbirthday decorations.
So I had pre-ordered, orpre-packed, I should say, from
(04:17):
Amazon, just like a little likebirthday banner, some balloons.
Just other little decor thingsthat I could bring with me
because.
I don't know San Juan, likethat.
I wasn't gonna just rely onshopping while I got there.
I spent the morning partlysetting up her birthday
surprise, you know, decoratingher room.
And I just wanted her to feelcelebrated without it needing to
(04:37):
be like a party fueled by booze.
So did not buy any wine oranything like that.
After I set up shop, I decidedto explore old San Juan because
as mentioned, her flight wascoming in a bit later and I had
some time to kill.
And I went to this beautifullittle coffee shop in Old San
Juan.
And just to set the scene, likeold San Juan is very rustic,
(04:57):
right?
it's called Old San Juan for areason.
Think cobble paved streets andDilapidated buildings, but like
in a beautiful way, like veryold world.
And I was sitting in the littlecoffee shop minding my own
business, scrolling on Instagrambasically.
And the power just cuts out.
And I'm thinking to myself, oh,that's weird.
(05:19):
I mean, it's midday, like noonat this point in time, and I'm
just like, oh, the power wentout.
But not really thinking too muchof it because I'm in old San
Juan.
I'm like, maybe they just had alittle like.
Clips in their power circuit.
I, I don't know what I wasthinking, but the point I'm
making is I was like on my phonekilling time, AKA killing my
(05:39):
battery.
And I didn't realize until Iwent back to my Airbnb to meet
Kay that there was no power.
Imagine I opened the door to ourAirbnb I didn't even notice that
the lights were off because itwas daytime.
I go to charge my phone andironically, Kailynn had texted
me before she bordered herflight to say, Hey, I left my
(06:02):
charger for my iPhone.
She has.
The newer iPhone.
So we had different outlets orwe had different chargers, I
should say.
So anyway, she's like, I left myphone charger.
Can you actually buy me one?
So I bought her one in Old SanJuan.
So I say a lot to say.
I get in, I'm like, oh, let mejuice up my phone.
I.
It's not charging.
(06:22):
It's not charging.
Then I go to turn the light on,the light's not turning on.
So there was a major poweroutage that affected most of the
city that day.
Very chaotic energy.
And surprisingly, mercury is notin retrograde at this time, but
I just bumped with the flow.
Apparently San Juan experiencespower outages.
(06:44):
Often, more often than one wouldexpect.
I, I don't know.
And I learned from talking todifferent people that live
there.
Uber drivers, people that workedin restaurants, service people,
like they were just kind oflike, listen, this is a normal
occurrence.
Our Airbnb host was reallyapologetic and accommodating,
(07:05):
and he was kind of like, theydidn't even cite a reason as to
why the power went out.
As mentioned, this is a normalthing, I guess, and he was like,
I can offer you guys a partialrefund.
If you wanna stay somewhereelse, I'll refund you for the
night, but we don't know if thepower will be out for two hours
or 48 hours.
It was very like.
(07:26):
You know, up in the air.
So we didn't have a generator.
So when Kay arrived, sheactually said that the airport
was super hot and everyone wasfaning themselves.
And her phone was like on 30%,my phone was on 30%.
I did buy her that charger, butwe had no use for it at the
time, and we just kind of wentwith the flow.
(07:47):
We just went with the flow.
And the flow.
Entailed going on a sailboattour that we pre-booked and we
went on the tour with ourchargers.
We were like, is there an outleton this boat, on this sailboat?
And thankfully there was anoutlet.
And then on this tour, becauseit was like a group tour that we
(08:10):
booked on Airbnb experience,There were other people
traveling, and so we actuallymet a guy named Ralph from
Connecticut.
Hey Ralph, if you're listeningto this, he was traveling solo
and we all just vibed.
And so it just reminds me lessonnumber two that you can bring
the joy I.
Without bringing the alcohol.
And my tip for you is be thekind of travel buddy who uplifts
(08:33):
people.
the-sober-butterfly_6_04- (08:34):
After the sailboat we went to dinner,
kept charging our phones.
we started plotting around whatwe would do if the power wasn't
back.
We're like, should we book ahotel?
And I proposed.
I was like, listen.
It's already dark at this point.
and I've unpacked all of mystuff and we don't even know
where we're gonna stay.
(08:55):
Imagine going back to the pitchblack Airbnb, trying to repack
our stuff and then find a newAirbnb.
Plus, we had booked a.
Rainforest tour to in themorning.
So we had a super early pickuptime at like 7:00 AM I'm like,
Kayleigh, it's not worth it.
Let's just ride it out, thug itout.
It's an experience for theevening and if when we come back
(09:16):
from our rainforest tour, if thepower's not back, then we can
definitely look to move.
So she was cool with that plan.
We kept the show going.
Like I said, the show must goon.
We decided to meet up with Rothagain.
And we went to Old San Juan.
Now that I have someperspective.
I'm actually really glad thatthe power was out on Old San
Juan because certainestablishments had generators
(09:39):
and so those bars, restaurants,clubs, were open and it was such
a unique experience to be out inthe streets and you can't see
anything like, it was so coolthe only light you would see
were from headlights from carswho were driving through these
like super narrow cobble streetsand there would be like one or
(09:59):
two bars open, so you'd see thelight emitted from those
establishments, hear the music,and it was just a cool
experience to be walkingbasically around in the dark and
then pop into these differentbars.
So we bar hopped and it was sucha fun experience.
I got to put my skills for mysalsa lesson class that I took
the day before to good use andgood practice.
I was salsa dancing.
(10:20):
It was so much fun.
kay and Ralph ordered Pinacoladas.
I had a non-alcoholic.
Apparently Pina Coladasoriginate in Puerto Rico.
Some people say, some peopledisagree.
I I didn't fact check that.
So if, you know, let me know.
Another amazing insight is whenyou don't drink, everything is
(10:40):
so much cheaper.
Like, everyone was buying roundsand they were like, oh my God,
this is so cheap.
But my drink was always thecheapest.
It was like$3.
Anyway, a highlight for me wasnot only seeing old San Juan in
the pitch dark, but also dancingall night.
Here's the thing.
Dancing sober is a superpower,okay?
(11:02):
You don't need alcohol to letgo.
You need permission from onlyyourself.
So my third lesson is you arethe vibe, and don't be shy about
ordering a mocktail.
Most bartenders are happy to getcreative if you just straight up
ask'em.
the-sober-butterfly_14_04-21 (11:21):
As we were leaving old Sam Juan to
go back to our Airbnb, we were.
Plotting still.
We were like, okay, how are wegonna do this?
We didn't even have aflashlight.
We're like, maybe I can hold myflashlight on my iPhone so that
you can take a shower.
We were literally brainstorming,even the Uber driver was
explaining to us how theinfrastructure was so terrible
(11:42):
in terms of how theirelectricity works in San Juan,
and a lot of it is due tomisappropriation and corruption
from their government.
Long story short, we pull up toour Airbnb and Uber driver's
like, well, your streetlight'son.
Kay and I just look at eachother.
He's like, I think your powermight be back.
And when I tell you like we, wewere so excited, but we were
(12:05):
scared.
We were like, okay, what if it'snot on?
And then we looked at theneighboring homes and they had
lights, and we just screamed atthe top of our lungs and jumped
around like little kids.
We were so happy.
No alcohol.
Once again, just pureUnfiltered, silly joy.
So just again, you can bring thejoy without alcohol.
the-sober-butterfly_7_04-21- (12:26):
As mentioned, we have the early
pickup 7:00 AM It was really 645, from our Airbnb to, had to,
and this was the highlight ofthe trip for both myself and
Kay.
We booked the early morningtour, which I highly recommend.
I can even plug in the shownotes, the particular tour that
(12:47):
we went on.
There are tons of EL tours, butI really loved or experience,
and the thing about booking anearly morning tour is you have
the entire remainder of the dayto spend.
How you want to, so while Ithink Kailin was like, oh my
God, it's such an early pickup,I think she was really grateful
because we weren't hungoverfirst of all.
(13:09):
So we were up, I was even ableto like squeeze in a workout
before, we went and got coffeeand it was just a great
juxtaposition to, like othertrips that I've taken where it's
like, oh my God, you're movingso slowly because you're so hung
over.
I felt fresh, I was ready to go.
So the experience to El YunqueNational Rainforest was
(13:31):
incredible.
we hiked, we jumped offwaterfalls, we swung from rope
swings.
It was exhilarating and I keptthinking, this is what sobriety
gives me.
Mornings like this.
So my lesson four for you,sobriety gives you mornings
memories.
And magic, so don't forget toplan a nature activity that
(13:53):
requires you to be present.
It will remind you why you chosethis path.
Nadine Mulvina (14:01):
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the-sober-butterfly_8_04- (15:40):
After El Yunque.
We were tired, but we wanted tocheck out this beach club, and
I'm not even going to plug thisfor you because to be real with
you, I felt that it wasoverrated.
It was like this bougie beachclub and it was expensive for no
reason.
I don't know what we paid for.
So not even gonna give you therecommendation here, but what
(16:02):
stood out was how Kay supportedme.
For context, if you wanted tolounge at the Beach Club, you
had to pay$95 and that got youtwo chairs, one umbrella and
drinks, which sounds like a gooddeal Oh, and it gave you chips
and salsa.
I'll get to that later.
Okay.
(16:23):
Um, so I.
Love that Kaylyn not only didn'tpressure me to drink, she let me
order the bucket of sparklingwater, coconut water, and sodas,
which really, you know, helpedboth of us stay hydrated and
comfortable, especially in thesweltering heat.
But I just.
(16:44):
In that moment had so muchgratitude for our friendship
because you know, that'sexpensive to spend essentially a
hundred dollars on water andsoda and coconut water but I
knew that she was looking outfor me and prior to the trip she
had indicated that she didn'treally wanna drink like that.
She wanted this to be more of arelaxing experience.
And so it was really amazing,just a full circle moment for us
(17:07):
to Say, okay, we're gonna choosethe healthier option and we're
not going to choose thebottomless mimosas or whatever
sugar fueled alcoholic drinksthey were offering.
Now the chips and salsa weretrash.
When I tell you they gave us anitty bitty, like, I want you to
think about how ketchup comesin.
Like those little circularcondiment cups, like that was
(17:28):
the salsa and the chips werestale.
So once again, not gonnarecommend that.
but lesson number five for us isthat real friends respect your
boundaries even if they drink.
And that was a really beautifulmoment for me to feel seen and.
Supported and respected.
the-sober-butterfly_9_04-21- (17:46):
We didn't end up going out that
second night because we werepooped from the rainforest and
from the beach club.
So we just had a quiet eveningindoors.
And our final day, which was aFriday, we spent, on Catamaran.
It was a six hour boat tour to aprivate island.
And the funny thing is, like inthe forecast before we left, we
(18:10):
kept checking it of course, andthey projected rain, but it
really didn't rain while we werethere.
Until we got on the boat, grayskies, bit windy, but we're
like, okay, the weather's heldup so far, we'll be fine.
Let me back up.
The catamaran was nice.
It was like this luxurycatamaran.
It was a decent sized boat,don't get me wrong, but when we
(18:32):
were lined up to get on theboat, cain and I looked at each
other and we're like, this is alot of people, like, how are we
all going to comfortably fit onthis boat?
So can't help it being in Ariesrush to the front of the line.
So we could be the first peopleon the boat so we could claim
prime real estate.
And we ended up sitting at thevery front because we wanted to,
(18:52):
hang out on the net and catchall the vibes, no one
obstructing our view.
Wanted to get a tan, but thatwas not what happened.
There was even this little boythat came up, oh my God, he was
so annoying.
Truly, I think.
Kids should not be allowed to goon catamarans, kids under the
age of like 12.
This kid was so annoying.
He like rushed over and waslike, I'm here.
(19:15):
And I, he said something and Iwas like, actually there's four
people here.
Like, you can't be here'causelike you can't sit with us.
They said four was the max andhe like stomped away.
Anyway, I, I'm getting off task,so.
We claimed our prime real estateand it poured the entire like 45
minutes to the private island.
The rain literally whip lashingus, like sloshing from every
(19:39):
direction.
it was not the scene like wewere like, what is this?
And it almost killed the vibe.
We traveled over an hour to gethere and it's pouring rain and
it's our final day.
So it really put a damper.
On the first half of themorning, but the sun thankfully
came out just in time and theboat trip turned out to be
(20:02):
beautiful.
When we got to the privateisland, it was actually super
hot.
They had good music, good food.
People were dancing, snorkeling.
We just soaked in all the joyfor me.
No alcohol required.
Kay.
Started drinking a bit becauseunlimited drinks she had a good
time.
I had a good time.
We were vibing.
(20:22):
It was just like.
Synchronicity is the point I'mtrying to make.
Like we were in sync and Ididn't feel outta place for my
choice to not drink and to behonest with you guys, when the
sun is beaming down on you whenyou're in the water, I don't
know why people think it's agood idea to drink.
Like I'm talking about myself,my former self.
I actually think it's crazy thatI used to drink so much in those
(20:46):
conditions because it is justtoo damn hot.
Anyway, we had a great time andso my final lesson for you guys
is you don't have to matchsomeone else's energy to enjoy
the moment like she was on hertip.
I was on my tip.
And let your energy becontagious
the-sober-butterfly_10_04 (21:03):
After the catamaran, we were so tired,
but we rallied because it wasour last night in Puerto Rico
and we had both really earlyflights departing at like 6:00
AM Saturday morning.
So we were like, okay, we'regonna make the best of this and
go out.
Kay booked an amazing dinnerreservation, which I can't think
of a name right now, but I willlink it in the show notes
because if you go to San Juan,this restaurant was Chef's Kiss,
(21:25):
one of the best meals Iexperienced in San Juan.
Delicious.
And they only take reservationsand they eat book out.
Pretty foreign event.
I think she booked thisrestaurant like two weeks ahead
so if you do wanna go, I thinkit's called like Ella's.
I, I'll look it.
Um, so we had an amazing dinnerand then I wanted to show her
(21:48):
around Lapita because I wentthere my first night.
And it just felt like truecollege spring break vibes.
Like people were drunk, theywere out there in the streets.
And maybe if I were like.
I don't know, 21 would've been agood time, but we were both
kinda like, this is not thevibe.
It was very much giving SouthBeach Miami vibes, so we wanted
(22:10):
to check out Old San Juan again.
I really, really wanted to go toLa Factoria, which is I think
ranked.
In the top 20 in terms of barsaround the world.
So I was like, we can't leavewithout going to La Factoria.
And the allure is each, it'smultilayered multi floors.
And each room or floor has itsown music.
(22:32):
So like they have Reggaton, theyhave salsa, they have, EDM, hip
hop.
So we were like, okay, let's go.
After La Placita, we went to LaFactoria and we didn't stay very
long.
It was so packed.
Oh my God.
It was so busy and we were sotired and we had to finish
packing for our early morningflight.
(22:52):
But I got to see it.
I had one of the best.
Mocktails ever at La Factoria,not even on the list.
I appreciate the bartenders inPuerto Rico.
Okay.
Nobody blinked twice.
When I told them I didn't drink,they didn't have a ton of
non-alcoholic options on themenu.
But like every bartender wassuper eager to showcase their
(23:15):
mixology skills.
Like, yeah, like show me whatyou can do.
I had.
Amazing drinks that like, Idon't even know what to call
them.
I honestly don't even knowwhat's in them.
And they just whipped them upand I was super happy.
So like that particular drink atlafa cost like$5.
I couldn't believe it.
And it was the best drink I hadall trip
the-sober-butterfly_11_04-21 (23:34):
We got home pretty late and as
mentioned, we had like a 6:00 AMflight and I packed everything.
I was about to get like threehours of sleep, and then I get a
notification on my phone from myflight announcing that it was
canceled.
Thank you, frontier Airlines.
I will never fly with you again.
(23:56):
I'm not kidding when I say myflight was supposed to leave at
like six 15 in the morning, andI got a notification at like one
30 in the morning being like,your flight was canceled.
No explanation.
Zilch, no explanation.
And so I was just like, oh myGod, what am I gonna do?
And I did slightly go into panicmode because you guys as much
(24:19):
fun as I had in Puerto Rico, Iwas ready to go home.
I was ready to go home.
You know that feeling whereyou're like, I feel full.
I feel like I've done everythingI was supposed to do here.
I'm ready to get home to my bed.
So instead of going into fullpanic mode.
This is something that old meprobably would've, you know,
(24:39):
drank, taken a shot to cope withit, to figure it out.
No old me actually would've beendrunk either still out in those
streets, those San Juan streets,or passed out because I was too
drunk.
So I actually caught thenotification and I just stayed
up.
I was like, okay.
Don't panic, you're gonna book aflight.
You're going home, baby.
(25:00):
You are going home today.
'cause it was after one o'clock,it was the same day.
I go to Google Flights, I typedin, I was like, I need to leave
today.
Take me home.
And I found a flight withJetBlue leaving at 4:45 AM You
guys, oh my gosh.
So imagine it's like onesomething in the morning.
I'm like.
(25:20):
Why am I even going to sleep?
I need to go to the airport.
So I ended up booking that newflight on JetBlue and when I got
to the airport, I had one finalmoment of like, aha.
As I was boarding my flight toget on, there was a girl who was
with.
I'm assuming her partner and shewas like maybe like three or
(25:43):
four people ahead of me and allof a sudden she just starts
projectile vomiting and thiswent on for minutes.
I'm not exaggerating, hercompanion just stood there and
the flight attendants or likethe people that work there were
kinda like, ma'am, we cannot letyou get on this flight like
this.
And I'm the type of person,like, if I smell vomit, I will
(26:05):
vomit.
So I was trying to be calm, butI was like, okay, I understand
she's throwing up right beforethe terminal or like right
before the runway, whatever youcall that, when you.
Get onto the plane, but I waslike, I need to, I need to get
on this plane.
Like I cannot watch this girlthrow up.
And you knew it was just alcoholbecause it, it was straight up
liquid just coming out.
Coming out.
(26:26):
I felt so bad for her.
Truly no judgment, I have beenthere, not actually there.
Like I've never done thatsurprisingly, but like clearly
she probably just went out forthe night and didn't go, sleep
it off.
Like she just went straight tothe airport thinking she could.
Muster up all her strength andmake it, but no baby.
I, I wonder if they made ithome.
I'm sure they did, but yeah,that happened.
(26:48):
In a final moment where I'mlike, yeah.
Um.
So glad I chose the sober life,and I'll leave you with my final
lesson that I learned, which issobriety obviously cannot
protect you from chaos, but ithelps you navigate things
clearly.
And I just wanna remind everyoneto travel flexibly and always
(27:09):
double check your flights.
Okay?
Triple check them and also neverfly Frontier.
When I told the JetBlue lady atthe front desk, they upgraded
me.
Thank you, JetBlue.
They were like, yeah, frontier.
They always cancel flights.
And I was like, why?
And then she was about to tellme, but then she didn't she made
a point of saying Fent alwayscancels their flight, especially
(27:31):
first thing in the morning.
I'm still trying to get arefund.
I can't even get ahold offriends here.
I called them before I startedrecording this.
They said, your wait is 247minutes.
So yeah, about that.
I'm not gonna sit on the phonefor 247 minutes.
So I, I'm gonna deal with thatlater.
But when she said that, I waslike, oh, why?
(27:52):
And she literally bit hertongue.
She was like, about to tell me,and then she was like, I, I
don't wanna say, I don't know,I'm not sure, but I felt like
she was trying to tell me like,oh.
I dunno if people get lit.
I dunno what the deal is, butyeah.
Fight, canceled, refund pending
the-sober-butterfly_12_04 (28:10):
Okay.
As we wind down with this week'sbonus episode, I just wanna
share my biggest takeaway fromthis trip, and that's just how
much my friendship with Kay hasevolved on past trips, Kay and I
had like mini fights, liketypical, you know, passive
aggressive energy or hangovertension.
(28:31):
But this trip I felt like welaughed.
Danced.
We gave each other space andshowed genuine care.
And being the only cerebralperson for me personally, used
to feel a bit like a burden.
And now it feels like a trueblessing because I get to
remember everything.
I get to lead with love andmaybe just maybe I'm showing
(28:55):
others a new wave being.
So my final lesson I'm gonnaleave with you guys is just
around sober leadership becauseit can be soft, it can be quiet,
and yet it can be so powerful.
You don't have to convincepeople to drink less.
You just have to be the example
the-sober-butterfly_13_04 (29:13):
Thank you butterflies, for coming
along on this story time withme.
This was such a random,impulsive episode, but I just
wanted to share and I have somany amazing interviews.
Lined up for you guys.
I feel like I don't get to do asmany solo episodes, which I love
interviewing people, butsometimes I just wanna give like
life updates, and this was aprime example of me just wanting
(29:35):
to share an amazing vacationthat I took with one of my best
friends.
Before I leave you some quickbonus tips for any sober
travelers, number one, bring aportable charger number two,
look up mocktail spots ornon-alcoholic drinks before you
go.
My third tip for you is to bookearly morning excursions because
(29:57):
you'll actually show up andenjoy them and have the
remaining part of your day tospend how you want.
My fourth tip is to travel withany grounding tools that you
need.
A book or a journal because solotime is sacred.
Number five, don't apologizeever for being sober.
(30:18):
Your presence is a gift.
Number six.
Dance.
Dance.
Like no one's watching danceanyway.
Laugh anyway.
Celebrate anyway.
And finally number seven is youbelong everywhere.
Your joy does.
I hope this bonus episode gaveyou guys some encouragement.
You can still have fun.
(30:38):
You can still hold boundariesand you can still come back with
memories not regrets.
If you enjoyed this episode,please take a quick second to
leave a review, share with afriend or tag me on Instagram at
the period.
So Butterfly, and let me knowwhat your favorite part is.
I need to know, let me know.
DM me.
(30:59):
It may take me a minute to getback to you.
I'm so sorry.
I'm not the best with the dms,but I'm working on it.
I'm working on it.
Friday we're back to theregularly scheduled program.
I have Danielle from that SoberGlow coming on the podcast.
This is an episode you do notwant to miss.
Danielle has an incrediblypowerful story.
She's so personable, and I justcan't wait to share.
(31:21):
That episode with you guys, so Iwill see you on Friday.
Until then, stay soft, staystrong, and of course, stay
sober.
I love you guys.
Bye.
Hello, hello, hello.
Beautiful butterflies andwelcome back to the Sober
Butterfly Podcast.
I am your host, Nadine, andtoday we're diving into a juicy
bonus solo episode that's equalparts vacation recap, sober
inspo, and a love letter tolongtime friendships that grow
with you.
(00:21):
Okay, so if you've beenfollowing me on social media,
you may already know that I wasin Puerto Rico for spring break.
Now, this wasn't just any springbreak vacation.
This was a spring break tripwith one of my best college
friends who still drinks andlisten, her and I, we have.
History.
Okay.
The kind where alcohol used tobe, the glue and not just the
(00:42):
glue.
We're talking drama and at timesour downfall, if I'm being quite
real.
But this trip in particular, itwas completely different.
It was healing and it remindedme that sober joy is not just
possible.
It is better than anything Iused to drink to chase.
So today I'm bringing you a fullbehind the scenes recap, plus
(01:05):
some practical tips, honestlessons, and a few funny moments
from my sober adventure in SanJuan.
Let's get into it.
the-sober-butterfly_3_04-21 (01:16):
All right, let's start with day one.
So I intentionally arrived a daybefore my friend to get
grounded.
And this friend, by the way, hername is Kay.
And Kay and I, we've traveledaround the globe together.
A lot of it, as mentioned in theintro, involved alcohol
drinking.
And it's so funny that thistrip.
(01:36):
Was around spring break timebecause one of the most epic
spring breaks of my lifeinvolved Kay, when we went on a
cruise, our senior year ofcollege, so this would've been
circa 2014, 13, 2013, and we.
I'm not even gonna get into ithere because A, she would kill
(01:57):
me, and B, we don't have enoughtime.
So just know that when we wenton that spring break cruise at
the end of college, it wasinsane.
And that was actually the firsttime that we'd ever taken like
an international trip together.
This particular trip.
Was actually our first timegoing away together sober.
So I intentionally arrived theday before K, just to get my
(02:22):
bearings really to get grounded.
And I checked into our Airbnb.
I dropped off my bags.
I took myself on a little solodate night, didn't have much
plans for that first evening,but ended up booking a last
minute salsa class followed bydinner in La Placita.
Now La Placita is Party Central.
(02:43):
I want you to think loud.
Music dancing in the streets,pina Coladas.
Everywhere and I was totallysober for it and totally fine.
Like more than fine.
I was great.
I was thriving.
I people watched, which is oneof my favorite activities.
And just watching people, youknow, move Puerto Rico, San Juan
(03:05):
in particular, it is the mostmusically, vibrant place I have
ever been you can hear musiceverywhere, like from cars,
booming, bad bunny, or literallyjust hearing different music
coming from cafes orrestaurants.
And so I was watching peoplemove with rhythm and laughter,
and I just thought to myself.
(03:26):
I get to feel this too, and notonly do I get to feel this, I
get to feel this without thehangover.
So the first lesson I just wantto remind myself and also share
with you is that sober travelstarts by choosing yourself
first.
And a quick tip for you, if youare traveling with other people,
especially people who drink,consider giving yourself a day
(03:50):
or two to settle in and getcentered.
the-sober-butterfly_4_04-21- (03:54):
So the next day I was expecting Kay
to arrive.
She was arriving later in theafternoon.
I was super excited that Kay wasarriving that day, and for more
context, this was spring break,but also a celebratory trip for
Kay's birthday coming up.
So I wanted to surprise her withbirthday decorations.
So I had pre-ordered, orpre-packed, I should say, from
(04:17):
Amazon, just like a little likebirthday banner, some balloons.
Just other little decor thingsthat I could bring with me
because.
I don't know San Juan, likethat.
I wasn't gonna just rely onshopping while I got there.
I spent the morning partlysetting up her birthday
surprise, you know, decoratingher room.
And I just wanted her to feelcelebrated without it needing to
(04:37):
be like a party fueled by booze.
So did not buy any wine oranything like that.
After I set up shop, I decidedto explore old San Juan because
as mentioned, her flight wascoming in a bit later and I had
some time to kill.
And I went to this beautifullittle coffee shop in Old San
Juan.
And just to set the scene, likeold San Juan is very rustic,
(04:57):
right?
it's called Old San Juan for areason.
Think cobble paved streets andDilapidated buildings, but like
in a beautiful way, like veryold world.
And I was sitting in the littlecoffee shop minding my own
business, scrolling on Instagrambasically.
And the power just cuts out.
And I'm thinking to myself, oh,that's weird.
(05:19):
I mean, it's midday, like noonat this point in time, and I'm
just like, oh, the power wentout.
But not really thinking too muchof it because I'm in old San
Juan.
I'm like, maybe they just had alittle like.
Clips in their power circuit.
I, I don't know what I wasthinking, but the point I'm
making is I was like on my phonekilling time, AKA killing my
(05:39):
battery.
And I didn't realize until Iwent back to my Airbnb to meet
Kay that there was no power.
Imagine I opened the door to ourAirbnb I didn't even notice that
the lights were off because itwas daytime.
I go to charge my phone andironically, Kailynn had texted
me before she bordered herflight to say, Hey, I left my
(06:02):
charger for my iPhone.
She has.
The newer iPhone.
So we had different outlets orwe had different chargers, I
should say.
So anyway, she's like, I left myphone charger.
Can you actually buy me one?
So I bought her one in Old SanJuan.
So I say a lot to say.
I get in, I'm like, oh, let mejuice up my phone.
I.
It's not charging.
(06:22):
It's not charging.
Then I go to turn the light on,the light's not turning on.
So there was a major poweroutage that affected most of the
city that day.
Very chaotic energy.
And surprisingly, mercury is notin retrograde at this time, but
I just bumped with the flow.
Apparently San Juan experiencespower outages.
(06:44):
Often, more often than one wouldexpect.
I, I don't know.
And I learned from talking todifferent people that live
there.
Uber drivers, people that workedin restaurants, service people,
like they were just kind oflike, listen, this is a normal
occurrence.
Our Airbnb host was reallyapologetic and accommodating,
(07:05):
and he was kind of like, theydidn't even cite a reason as to
why the power went out.
As mentioned, this is a normalthing, I guess, and he was like,
I can offer you guys a partialrefund.
If you wanna stay somewhereelse, I'll refund you for the
night, but we don't know if thepower will be out for two hours
or 48 hours.
It was very like.
(07:26):
You know, up in the air.
So we didn't have a generator.
So when Kay arrived, sheactually said that the airport
was super hot and everyone wasfaning themselves.
And her phone was like on 30%,my phone was on 30%.
I did buy her that charger, butwe had no use for it at the
time, and we just kind of wentwith the flow.
(07:47):
We just went with the flow.
And the flow.
Entailed going on a sailboattour that we pre-booked and we
went on the tour with ourchargers.
We were like, is there an outleton this boat, on this sailboat?
And thankfully there was anoutlet.
And then on this tour, becauseit was like a group tour that we
(08:10):
booked on Airbnb experience,There were other people
traveling, and so we actuallymet a guy named Ralph from
Connecticut.
Hey Ralph, if you're listeningto this, he was traveling solo
and we all just vibed.
And so it just reminds me lessonnumber two that you can bring
the joy I.
Without bringing the alcohol.
And my tip for you is be thekind of travel buddy who uplifts
(08:33):
people.
the-sober-butterfly_6_04- (08:34):
After the sailboat we went to dinner,
kept charging our phones.
we started plotting around whatwe would do if the power wasn't
back.
We're like, should we book ahotel?
And I proposed.
I was like, listen.
It's already dark at this point.
and I've unpacked all of mystuff and we don't even know
where we're gonna stay.
(08:55):
Imagine going back to the pitchblack Airbnb, trying to repack
our stuff and then find a newAirbnb.
Plus, we had booked a.
Rainforest tour to in themorning.
So we had a super early pickuptime at like 7:00 AM I'm like,
Kayleigh, it's not worth it.
Let's just ride it out, thug itout.
It's an experience for theevening and if when we come back
(09:16):
from our rainforest tour, if thepower's not back, then we can
definitely look to move.
So she was cool with that plan.
We kept the show going.
Like I said, the show must goon.
We decided to meet up with Rothagain.
And we went to Old San Juan.
Now that I have someperspective.
I'm actually really glad thatthe power was out on Old San
Juan because certainestablishments had generators
(09:39):
and so those bars, restaurants,clubs, were open and it was such
a unique experience to be out inthe streets and you can't see
anything like, it was so coolthe only light you would see
were from headlights from carswho were driving through these
like super narrow cobble streetsand there would be like one or
(09:59):
two bars open, so you'd see thelight emitted from those
establishments, hear the music,and it was just a cool
experience to be walkingbasically around in the dark and
then pop into these differentbars.
So we bar hopped and it was sucha fun experience.
I got to put my skills for mysalsa lesson class that I took
the day before to good use andgood practice.
I was salsa dancing.
(10:20):
It was so much fun.
kay and Ralph ordered Pinacoladas.
I had a non-alcoholic.
Apparently Pina Coladasoriginate in Puerto Rico.
Some people say, some peopledisagree.
I I didn't fact check that.
So if, you know, let me know.
Another amazing insight is whenyou don't drink, everything is
(10:40):
so much cheaper.
Like, everyone was buying roundsand they were like, oh my God,
this is so cheap.
But my drink was always thecheapest.
It was like$3.
Anyway, a highlight for me wasnot only seeing old San Juan in
the pitch dark, but also dancingall night.
Here's the thing.
Dancing sober is a superpower,okay?
(11:02):
You don't need alcohol to letgo.
You need permission from onlyyourself.
So my third lesson is you arethe vibe, and don't be shy about
ordering a mocktail.
Most bartenders are happy to getcreative if you just straight up
ask'em.
the-sober-butterfly_14_04-21 (11:21):
As we were leaving old Sam Juan to
go back to our Airbnb, we were.
Plotting still.
We were like, okay, how are wegonna do this?
We didn't even have aflashlight.
We're like, maybe I can hold myflashlight on my iPhone so that
you can take a shower.
We were literally brainstorming,even the Uber driver was
explaining to us how theinfrastructure was so terrible
(11:42):
in terms of how theirelectricity works in San Juan,
and a lot of it is due tomisappropriation and corruption
from their government.
Long story short, we pull up toour Airbnb and Uber driver's
like, well, your streetlight'son.
Kay and I just look at eachother.
He's like, I think your powermight be back.
And when I tell you like we, wewere so excited, but we were
(12:05):
scared.
We were like, okay, what if it'snot on?
And then we looked at theneighboring homes and they had
lights, and we just screamed atthe top of our lungs and jumped
around like little kids.
We were so happy.
No alcohol.
Once again, just pureUnfiltered, silly joy.
So just again, you can bring thejoy without alcohol.
the-sober-butterfly_7_04-21- (12:26):
As mentioned, we have the early
pickup 7:00 AM It was really 645, from our Airbnb to, had to,
and this was the highlight ofthe trip for both myself and
Kay.
We booked the early morningtour, which I highly recommend.
I can even plug in the shownotes, the particular tour that
(12:47):
we went on.
There are tons of EL tours, butI really loved or experience,
and the thing about booking anearly morning tour is you have
the entire remainder of the dayto spend.
How you want to, so while Ithink Kailin was like, oh my
God, it's such an early pickup,I think she was really grateful
because we weren't hungoverfirst of all.
(13:09):
So we were up, I was even ableto like squeeze in a workout
before, we went and got coffeeand it was just a great
juxtaposition to, like othertrips that I've taken where it's
like, oh my God, you're movingso slowly because you're so hung
over.
I felt fresh, I was ready to go.
So the experience to El YunqueNational Rainforest was
(13:31):
incredible.
we hiked, we jumped offwaterfalls, we swung from rope
swings.
It was exhilarating and I keptthinking, this is what sobriety
gives me.
Mornings like this.
So my lesson four for you,sobriety gives you mornings
memories.
And magic, so don't forget toplan a nature activity that
(13:53):
requires you to be present.
It will remind you why you chosethis path.
Nadine Mulvina (14:01):
And now a quick word from our partners.
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(14:24):
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So if you're ready to invest inyour health and actually feel
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(15:27):
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the-sober-butterfly_8_04- (15:40):
After El Yunque.
We were tired, but we wanted tocheck out this beach club, and
I'm not even going to plug thisfor you because to be real with
you, I felt that it wasoverrated.
It was like this bougie beachclub and it was expensive for no
reason.
I don't know what we paid for.
So not even gonna give you therecommendation here, but what
(16:02):
stood out was how Kay supportedme.
For context, if you wanted tolounge at the Beach Club, you
had to pay$95 and that got youtwo chairs, one umbrella and
drinks, which sounds like a gooddeal Oh, and it gave you chips
and salsa.
I'll get to that later.
Okay.
(16:23):
Um, so I.
Love that Kaylyn not only didn'tpressure me to drink, she let me
order the bucket of sparklingwater, coconut water, and sodas,
which really, you know, helpedboth of us stay hydrated and
comfortable, especially in thesweltering heat.
But I just.
(16:44):
In that moment had so muchgratitude for our friendship
because you know, that'sexpensive to spend essentially a
hundred dollars on water andsoda and coconut water but I
knew that she was looking outfor me and prior to the trip she
had indicated that she didn'treally wanna drink like that.
She wanted this to be more of arelaxing experience.
And so it was really amazing,just a full circle moment for us
(17:07):
to Say, okay, we're gonna choosethe healthier option and we're
not going to choose thebottomless mimosas or whatever
sugar fueled alcoholic drinksthey were offering.
Now the chips and salsa weretrash.
When I tell you they gave us anitty bitty, like, I want you to
think about how ketchup comesin.
Like those little circularcondiment cups, like that was
(17:28):
the salsa and the chips werestale.
So once again, not gonnarecommend that.
but lesson number five for us isthat real friends respect your
boundaries even if they drink.
And that was a really beautifulmoment for me to feel seen and.
Supported and respected.
the-sober-butterfly_9_04-21- (17:46):
We didn't end up going out that
second night because we werepooped from the rainforest and
from the beach club.
So we just had a quiet eveningindoors.
And our final day, which was aFriday, we spent, on Catamaran.
It was a six hour boat tour to aprivate island.
And the funny thing is, like inthe forecast before we left, we
(18:10):
kept checking it of course, andthey projected rain, but it
really didn't rain while we werethere.
Until we got on the boat, grayskies, bit windy, but we're
like, okay, the weather's heldup so far, we'll be fine.
Let me back up.
The catamaran was nice.
It was like this luxurycatamaran.
It was a decent sized boat,don't get me wrong, but when we
(18:32):
were lined up to get on theboat, cain and I looked at each
other and we're like, this is alot of people, like, how are we
all going to comfortably fit onthis boat?
So can't help it being in Ariesrush to the front of the line.
So we could be the first peopleon the boat so we could claim
prime real estate.
And we ended up sitting at thevery front because we wanted to,
(18:52):
hang out on the net and catchall the vibes, no one
obstructing our view.
Wanted to get a tan, but thatwas not what happened.
There was even this little boythat came up, oh my God, he was
so annoying.
Truly, I think.
Kids should not be allowed to goon catamarans, kids under the
age of like 12.
This kid was so annoying.
He like rushed over and waslike, I'm here.
(19:15):
And I, he said something and Iwas like, actually there's four
people here.
Like, you can't be here'causelike you can't sit with us.
They said four was the max andhe like stomped away.
Anyway, I, I'm getting off task,so.
We claimed our prime real estateand it poured the entire like 45
minutes to the private island.
The rain literally whip lashingus, like sloshing from every
(19:39):
direction.
it was not the scene like wewere like, what is this?
And it almost killed the vibe.
We traveled over an hour to gethere and it's pouring rain and
it's our final day.
So it really put a damper.
On the first half of themorning, but the sun thankfully
came out just in time and theboat trip turned out to be
(20:02):
beautiful.
When we got to the privateisland, it was actually super
hot.
They had good music, good food.
People were dancing, snorkeling.
We just soaked in all the joyfor me.
No alcohol required.
Kay.
Started drinking a bit becauseunlimited drinks she had a good
time.
I had a good time.
We were vibing.
(20:22):
It was just like.
Synchronicity is the point I'mtrying to make.
Like we were in sync and Ididn't feel outta place for my
choice to not drink and to behonest with you guys, when the
sun is beaming down on you whenyou're in the water, I don't
know why people think it's agood idea to drink.
Like I'm talking about myself,my former self.
I actually think it's crazy thatI used to drink so much in those
(20:46):
conditions because it is justtoo damn hot.
Anyway, we had a great time andso my final lesson for you guys
is you don't have to matchsomeone else's energy to enjoy
the moment like she was on hertip.
I was on my tip.
And let your energy becontagious
the-sober-butterfly_10_04 (21:03):
After the catamaran, we were so tired,
but we rallied because it wasour last night in Puerto Rico
and we had both really earlyflights departing at like 6:00
AM Saturday morning.
So we were like, okay, we'regonna make the best of this and
go out.
Kay booked an amazing dinnerreservation, which I can't think
of a name right now, but I willlink it in the show notes
because if you go to San Juan,this restaurant was Chef's Kiss,
(21:25):
one of the best meals Iexperienced in San Juan.
Delicious.
And they only take reservationsand they eat book out.
Pretty foreign event.
I think she booked thisrestaurant like two weeks ahead
so if you do wanna go, I thinkit's called like Ella's.
I, I'll look it.
Um, so we had an amazing dinnerand then I wanted to show her
(21:48):
around Lapita because I wentthere my first night.
And it just felt like truecollege spring break vibes.
Like people were drunk, theywere out there in the streets.
And maybe if I were like.
I don't know, 21 would've been agood time, but we were both
kinda like, this is not thevibe.
It was very much giving SouthBeach Miami vibes, so we wanted
(22:10):
to check out Old San Juan again.
I really, really wanted to go toLa Factoria, which is I think
ranked.
In the top 20 in terms of barsaround the world.
So I was like, we can't leavewithout going to La Factoria.
And the allure is each, it'smultilayered multi floors.
And each room or floor has itsown music.
(22:32):
So like they have Reggaton, theyhave salsa, they have, EDM, hip
hop.
So we were like, okay, let's go.
After La Placita, we went to LaFactoria and we didn't stay very
long.
It was so packed.
Oh my God.
It was so busy and we were sotired and we had to finish
packing for our early morningflight.
(22:52):
But I got to see it.
I had one of the best.
Mocktails ever at La Factoria,not even on the list.
I appreciate the bartenders inPuerto Rico.
Okay.
Nobody blinked twice.
When I told them I didn't drink,they didn't have a ton of
non-alcoholic options on themenu.
But like every bartender wassuper eager to showcase their
(23:15):
mixology skills.
Like, yeah, like show me whatyou can do.
I had.
Amazing drinks that like, Idon't even know what to call
them.
I honestly don't even knowwhat's in them.
And they just whipped them upand I was super happy.
So like that particular drink atlafa cost like$5.
I couldn't believe it.
And it was the best drink I hadall trip
the-sober-butterfly_11_04-21 (23:34):
We got home pretty late and as
mentioned, we had like a 6:00 AMflight and I packed everything.
I was about to get like threehours of sleep, and then I get a
notification on my phone from myflight announcing that it was
canceled.
Thank you, frontier Airlines.
I will never fly with you again.
(23:56):
I'm not kidding when I say myflight was supposed to leave at
like six 15 in the morning, andI got a notification at like one
30 in the morning being like,your flight was canceled.
No explanation.
Zilch, no explanation.
And so I was just like, oh myGod, what am I gonna do?
And I did slightly go into panicmode because you guys as much
(24:19):
fun as I had in Puerto Rico, Iwas ready to go home.
I was ready to go home.
You know that feeling whereyou're like, I feel full.
I feel like I've done everythingI was supposed to do here.
I'm ready to get home to my bed.
So instead of going into fullpanic mode.
This is something that old meprobably would've, you know,
(24:39):
drank, taken a shot to cope withit, to figure it out.
No old me actually would've beendrunk either still out in those
streets, those San Juan streets,or passed out because I was too
drunk.
So I actually caught thenotification and I just stayed
up.
I was like, okay.
Don't panic, you're gonna book aflight.
You're going home, baby.
(25:00):
You are going home today.
'cause it was after one o'clock,it was the same day.
I go to Google Flights, I typedin, I was like, I need to leave
today.
Take me home.
And I found a flight withJetBlue leaving at 4:45 AM You
guys, oh my gosh.
So imagine it's like onesomething in the morning.
I'm like.
(25:20):
Why am I even going to sleep?
I need to go to the airport.
So I ended up booking that newflight on JetBlue and when I got
to the airport, I had one finalmoment of like, aha.
As I was boarding my flight toget on, there was a girl who was
with.
I'm assuming her partner and shewas like maybe like three or
(25:43):
four people ahead of me and allof a sudden she just starts
projectile vomiting and thiswent on for minutes.
I'm not exaggerating, hercompanion just stood there and
the flight attendants or likethe people that work there were
kinda like, ma'am, we cannot letyou get on this flight like
this.
And I'm the type of person,like, if I smell vomit, I will
(26:05):
vomit.
So I was trying to be calm, butI was like, okay, I understand
she's throwing up right beforethe terminal or like right
before the runway, whatever youcall that, when you.
Get onto the plane, but I waslike, I need to, I need to get
on this plane.
Like I cannot watch this girlthrow up.
And you knew it was just alcoholbecause it, it was straight up
liquid just coming out.
Coming out.
(26:26):
I felt so bad for her.
Truly no judgment, I have beenthere, not actually there.
Like I've never done thatsurprisingly, but like clearly
she probably just went out forthe night and didn't go, sleep
it off.
Like she just went straight tothe airport thinking she could.
Muster up all her strength andmake it, but no baby.
I, I wonder if they made ithome.
I'm sure they did, but yeah,that happened.
(26:48):
In a final moment where I'mlike, yeah.
Um.
So glad I chose the sober life,and I'll leave you with my final
lesson that I learned, which issobriety obviously cannot
protect you from chaos, but ithelps you navigate things
clearly.
And I just wanna remind everyoneto travel flexibly and always
(27:09):
double check your flights.
Okay?
Triple check them and also neverfly Frontier.
When I told the JetBlue lady atthe front desk, they upgraded
me.
Thank you, JetBlue.
They were like, yeah, frontier.
They always cancel flights.
And I was like, why?
And then she was about to tellme, but then she didn't she made
a point of saying Fent alwayscancels their flight, especially
(27:31):
first thing in the morning.
I'm still trying to get arefund.
I can't even get ahold offriends here.
I called them before I startedrecording this.
They said, your wait is 247minutes.
So yeah, about that.
I'm not gonna sit on the phonefor 247 minutes.
So I, I'm gonna deal with thatlater.
But when she said that, I waslike, oh, why?
(27:52):
And she literally bit hertongue.
She was like, about to tell me,and then she was like, I, I
don't wanna say, I don't know,I'm not sure, but I felt like
she was trying to tell me like,oh.
I dunno if people get lit.
I dunno what the deal is, butyeah.
Fight, canceled, refund pending
the-sober-butterfly_12_04 (28:10):
Okay.
As we wind down with this week'sbonus episode, I just wanna
share my biggest takeaway fromthis trip, and that's just how
much my friendship with Kay hasevolved on past trips, Kay and I
had like mini fights, liketypical, you know, passive
aggressive energy or hangovertension.
(28:31):
But this trip I felt like welaughed.
Danced.
We gave each other space andshowed genuine care.
And being the only cerebralperson for me personally, used
to feel a bit like a burden.
And now it feels like a trueblessing because I get to
remember everything.
I get to lead with love andmaybe just maybe I'm showing
(28:55):
others a new wave being.
So my final lesson I'm gonnaleave with you guys is just
around sober leadership becauseit can be soft, it can be quiet,
and yet it can be so powerful.
You don't have to convincepeople to drink less.
You just have to be the example
the-sober-butterfly_13_04 (29:13):
Thank you butterflies, for coming
along on this story time withme.
This was such a random,impulsive episode, but I just
wanted to share and I have somany amazing interviews.
Lined up for you guys.
I feel like I don't get to do asmany solo episodes, which I love
interviewing people, butsometimes I just wanna give like
life updates, and this was aprime example of me just wanting
(29:35):
to share an amazing vacationthat I took with one of my best
friends.
Before I leave you some quickbonus tips for any sober
travelers, number one, bring aportable charger number two,
look up mocktail spots ornon-alcoholic drinks before you
go.
My third tip for you is to bookearly morning excursions because
(29:57):
you'll actually show up andenjoy them and have the
remaining part of your day tospend how you want.
My fourth tip is to travel withany grounding tools that you
need.
A book or a journal because solotime is sacred.
Number five, don't apologizeever for being sober.
(30:18):
Your presence is a gift.
Number six.
Dance.
Dance.
Like no one's watching danceanyway.
Laugh anyway.
Celebrate anyway.
And finally number seven is youbelong everywhere.
Your joy does.
I hope this bonus episode gaveyou guys some encouragement.
You can still have fun.
(30:38):
You can still hold boundariesand you can still come back with
memories not regrets.
If you enjoyed this episode,please take a quick second to
leave a review, share with afriend or tag me on Instagram at
the period.
So Butterfly, and let me knowwhat your favorite part is.
I need to know, let me know.
DM me.
(30:59):
It may take me a minute to getback to you.
I'm so sorry.
I'm not the best with the dms,but I'm working on it.
I'm working on it.
Friday we're back to theregularly scheduled program.
I have Danielle from that SoberGlow coming on the podcast.
This is an episode you do notwant to miss.
Danielle has an incrediblypowerful story.
She's so personable, and I justcan't wait to share.
(31:21):
That episode with you guys, so Iwill see you on Friday.
Until then, stay soft, staystrong, and of course, stay
sober.
I love you guys.
Bye.
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